Grok scandal exposes Online Safety Act flaws January 7, 2026 The UK’s relatively new Online Safety Act was sold as its long-overdue answer to the alarming harms of social media. Brits were promised a framework tough enough to bar Silicon Valley access, tough enough to promote innovation, and strong enough to keep its users, particularly children, from digital abuse. Barely months into its rollout, controversial [...]
British shoppers turn to AI as London high street sales falter January 7, 2026 As our beloved high streets grapple with rising business costs, decaying consumer confidence and yet another bout of tax uncertainty, AI agents are reshaping how consumers shop. A report published by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) warns that that so-called ‘agentic AI’, a quasi-autonomous form of artificial intelligence, could shift from novelty to norm within [...]
AI jobs defy hiring slump as tech talent cashes in January 7, 2026 With redundancies rising and hiring freezes spreading across much of UK PLC, the tech corner of the jobs market looks to be moving steadily in the opposite direction. New data shows tech roles are not just surviving the wider slowdown, but actively raising salary growth in 2026. Jobs platform Totaljobs found median advertised pay saw [...]
Accenture bets on British AI talent with Faculty buy January 6, 2026 Professional services firm Accenture has announced the acquisition of London-based AI specialist Faculty, in a deal that cements the City’s role as a global talent hub. The Dublin-based US firm said the acquisition will bring more than 400 AI specialists into Accenture’s workforce, deepening its capabilities in applied AI, decision intelligence and AI safety. The [...]
Nvidia pitches ‘thinking’ cars as UK EV sales soar January 6, 2026 Nvidia is betting that smarter software will drive the next phase of electric vehicle (EV) adoption, unveiling what its boss dubbed as the ‘ChatGPT moment’ for self-driving cars as UK EV sales hit record highs. Speaking at the yearly Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, tech titan and Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang revealed [...]
Labour pencils £210m cyber plan to curb escalating attacks January 6, 2026 The UK government has unveiled a £210m cyber action plan aimed at shoring up the public services, as ministers face mounting pressure to respond to a sharp rise in attacks on major British businesses. The plan, published on Tuesday, comes amid a backdrop of high-profile cyber incidents that hit retailers including M&S, Co-op and Jaguar [...]
2025 was set to be the year of AI agents. It was not. January 6, 2026 At the end of 2024, just over a year ago today, tech behemoth and OpenAI boss Sam Altman predicted that AI agents would completely upturn the workplace before year end. AI agents are software programmes which break down any given task into smaller, more manageable steps, allowing them to devise and execute them with little [...]
Fashion giant Zara holds a mirror up to retail disruption January 5, 2026 Zara is on a mission to be more digital. From AI generated models, to reduced production timelines, to a new AI-powered virtual try-on feature, the moves point to a wider shift within the sector. The Spanish retail giant has spent the last few weeks modernising its strategy, fully embracing AI adoption to cut costs and [...]
Industry boss slams Labour for lack of tech sector support January 5, 2026 The boss of the world’s biggest tech trade show yesterday took aim at the UK government’s support for tech startups, following a disappointing show of Brits at the annual tech conference. “The British presence has been spotty, which is surprising to me” compared to European rivals, announced Gary Shapiro, who has been with the CTA [...]
Auction Tech fends off 11 takeover bids from largest shareholder January 5, 2026 Digital marketplace Auction Technology Group has fended off 11 hostile takeover bids from its largest shareholder. The London-listed tech firm said on Monday it had dismissed the latest offer from investment giant FitzWalter Capital, which valued ATG at 360p per share. ATG said the bid – which was received on 23 December – “fundamentally undervalued” [...]